Edward Rotheram

Infobox Military Person
name= Edward Rotheram
lived= 27 December 1753 – 6 November 1830
placeofbirth= Hexham, Northumberland
placeofdeath= Bildeston, Suffolk


caption= Edward Rotheram in 1803
nickname=
allegiance= flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
serviceyears= 1777 to 1808
rank= Royal Navy Captain
branch=
commands=
unit=
battles= American Revolutionary War • Battle of Martinique • Battle of St Kitts • Battle of Chesapeake • Battle of the Saintes French Revolutionary Wars • Glorious First of June Napoleonic Wars • Battle of Trafalgar
awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath
laterwork= Captain Edward Rotheram CB RN (27 December 1753 – 6 November 1830) was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy, who served for many years during the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars. During his service, Rotheram saw action at several major naval engagements, including as a lieutenant at the Glorious First of June in 1794 and as captain of HMS "Royal Sovereign" at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Although he was highly praised for his actions at both battles, he was not well regarded in the service, being once described by his admiral at Trafalgar, Cuthbert Collingwood as "a man of no talent as a sea officer" and "a stupid man".

Rotheram gained a reputation as an difficult officer to serve with, and he rapidly alienated his fellow officers and the sailors who served under him. Ultimately this character trait resulted in his removal from service and overlooking for promotion in 1808 after being court martialled for inappropriate behaviour towards junior officers. The rest of his life was spent requesting, often in an aggressive manner, the Admiralty for both further service and the rewards he felt were his due.

Early career

Rotheram was born in 1753 at Hexham in Northumberland to Dr. John Rotheram, a local physician, and his wife Catherine Roberts. Rotheram was the second of the couple's seven children and was educated, with his brothers, at Head School in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where the family moved when Edward was seven. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24151 Rotheram, Edward] , "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", C. H. H. Owen, Retrieved 14 March 2008] His elder brother John Rotheram was later a senior professor in natural philosophy at St Andrew's University. Edward Rotheram went to sea at a young age, joining a
collier sailing from Newcastle and serving aboard merchant ships for several years.White, p. 112] In 1777 however, Rotheram joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman during the American Revolutionary War.

Initially serving on HMS "Centaur", Rotheram moved to HMS "Barfleur" in 1780 and HMS "Monarch" shortly afterwards as a lieutenant, serving under Lord Howe. "Monarch" was heavily engaged in the West Indian campaign during the latter stages of the war, and Rotheram saw action at the Battle of Martinique in 1780, the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 and the Battle of St Kitts and the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. Following the end of the war at the start of 1783, Rotheram returned to Britain as a reserve officer on half-pay.

lieutenant and commander

In 1785, Rotheram married Dorothy Harle of Newcastle, with whom he had three daughters. He returned to naval service in 1787 aboard HMS "Bombay Castle" and over the next four years moved between HMS "Culloden" and HMS "Vengeance", all in the Channel Fleet. In 1792 Rotheram was made first lieutenant of HMS "Culloden" and was still in this position when the French Revolutionary War broke out a year later.James, Vol. 1, p. 180] "Culloden" was part of the Channel Fleet under Rotheram's old commander Lord Howe, and the ship was captained by Isaac Schomberg during the Atlantic campaign of May 1794, in which Howe pursued a French fleet deep into the Atlantic, bringing it to battle at the Glorious First of June.

"Culloden" was not closely engaged in the opening stages of the battle, for which Schomberg would later be heavily criticised. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24824?docPos=2 Schomberg, Isaac] , "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", C. H. H. Owen, Retrieved 14 March 2008] Rotheram, however, gained acclaim in the battle's aftermath by organising the "Culloden"'s boats and the boats of other nearby ships into a rescue party that saved hundreds of French sailors from the sinking "Vengeur du Peuple". In recognition for this operation, Rotheram was promoted commander on 6 July 1794 and given command of the storeship HMS "Camel" in the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1797 Rotheram moved to the sloop HMS "Hawke", which he commanded in the West Indies until 1800, returning to Britain in 1800 aboard HMS "Lapwing" to be made a post captain.

Rotheram commanded "Lapwing" for the next two years, operating with the Channel Fleet and capturing several small French prizes. [LondonGazette|issue=15809|startpage=693|date=21 May 1805|accessdate=2008-03-14] In 1802 Rotheram returned to reserve ashore during the Peace of Amiens. This retirement lasted until 1804, when Rotheram was called back to service as flag captain of HMS "Dreadnought", a second rate ship of the line that flew the flag of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Collingwood and Rotheram had a poor relationship, Collingwood commenting by letter to his brother that "He [Rotheram] is a man of no talent as a sea officer, and of little assistance to me." Nevertheless, when Collingwood moved to HMS "Royal Sovereign" in October 1805 as second-in-command of the fleet under Lord Nelson blockading the Franco-Spanish fleet in Cadiz, he brought Rotheram with him.James, Vol. 4, p. 18] Nelson was aware of the personal conflict between the men, and invited both Collingwood and Rotheram to dinner in a partially successful effort to reconcile them.

Trafalgar

At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, "Royal Sovereign" was the first ship in Collingwood's division to breach the enemy lines, and Collingwood and Rotheram appear to have reconciled some of their differences as they cooperated well in handling the ship. Collingwood even called to his captain; "Rotheram, what would Nelson give to be here!", Nelson's HMS "Victory" being several minutes behind "Royal Sovereign" in engaging the enemy. Rotheram was also noted during the action for refusing to remove his full dress uniform and large cocked hat, apparel which was not only impractical in a naval engagement but which also marked him as a target for enemy snipers.

"Royal Sovereign"'s main opponent was the large Spanish first rate "Santa Ana", with whom she was engaged for several minutes at the start of the action without support. During this time, "Royal Sovereign" was at one point engaged with five different enemy ships, and suffered heavy damage and casualties during the engagement, finally subduing the 112-gun "Santa Ana" after a duel lasting several hours. Both ships were left unmanageable at the end of the engagement, "Royal Sovereign" being taken in tow by HMS "Euryalus" into which Collingwood transferred his flag. "Royal Sovereign" had suffered nearly 150 casualties, "Santa Ana" over 300 by the end of the battle. "Santa Ana" was later abandoned by her captors and ultimately fell back into Spanish hands, but "Royal Sovereign" reached the safety of Gibraltar soon after the battle.

In the aftermath of the action, Rotheram left "Royal Sovereign" to take command of HMS "Bellerophon", whose captain John Cooke had been killed by a French sniper. Cooke had been targeted due to the dress uniform he had worn during the battle.White, p. 48] "Bellerophon" escorted "Victory" carrying Nelson's body back to Britain, and Rotheram carried the guidon behind the coffin at Nelson's funeral in London. [LondonGazette|issue=15881|startpage=53|date=14 January 1806|accessdate=2008-03-14] Rotheram was presented with a gold medal and sword of honour in recognition of his services in the action, and continued in command of "Bellerophon".

Retirement

Rotheram remained in command of "Bellerophon" in the English Channel and the North Sea until 1808, when he was court martialled and reprimanded for unacceptable conduct towards his ship's junior officers and chaplain. Rotheram remained in the service, but was never again employed at sea. Collingwood summed the situation up in a letter to his sister, stating "Though I think him a stupid man I was in hope he might have gone on in the ship I put him in, which I believe was the only chance he had of being in a ship".

Although his career was over, Rotheram continued to request sea service and honours from the Admiralty, becoming increasingly irate and intemperate in his demands. At the reorganising of the knightly orders in 1815, a number of senior naval officers were given knighthoods, Rotheram settling for being made a Companion of the Order of the Bath, a step below knighthood. [LondonGazette|issue=17061|startpage=1877|date=16 September 1815|accessdate=2008-03-14] He retired to Bildeston in Suffolk and from there continued to request appointments, finally being made one of the captains of the Greenwich Naval Hospital in 1828. Rotheram died in Bildeston in 1830 and was buried in St Mary Magdelene Church in the village, where his grave and a memorial plaque are still legible today.White, p. 110] Rotheram was never awarded any further honours or promoted to admiral, having lost his seniority in the court martial of 1808.

Notes

References

*cite book
last = James
first = William
authorlink = William James (naval historian)
year = 2002
origyear = 1827
chapter =
title = The Naval History of Great Britain, Volumes 1-6, 1793-1827
publisher = Conway Maritime Press
location =
isbn = 0-85177-905-0
*cite book
last = White and the 1805 Club
first = Colin
authorlink =
year = 2004
origyear =
chapter =
title = The Trafalgar Captains
publisher = Chatham Publishing
location =
isbn = 1-86176-247-X
* cite web
title = Rotheram, Edward
work = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, C. H. H. Owen
url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24151
accessdate = 2008-03-14

Persondata
NAME=Rotheram, Edward
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= British Royal Navy officer
DATE OF BIRTH=27 December 1753
PLACE OF BIRTH=Hexham, Northumberland
DATE OF DEATH=6 November 1830
PLACE OF DEATH=Bildeston, Suffolk